PDP announces date for fresh Gombe governorship primary

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State has announced a new date for a fresh governorship primary election.

Three major aspirants–former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, Hamisu Mailantarki, and Usman Garry–are expected to contest the rescheduled primary election.

The announcement follows a Thursday ruling by the Federal High Court that nullified the original primary election and ordered a fresh contest within 30 days.

The PDP’s publicity secretary in Gombe State, Muhammad Dukku, announced that the party fixed 29 September for the exercise.

Following the nullification of the Gombe State PDP Governorship Primary Election held on the 26th of May 2026, by the Federal High Court, Gombe, on the 24th of September.

“The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Gombe State, wishes to inform all its card-carrying members that there will be a Gubernatorial repeat Primary Election on Tuesday, 29 September, 2026. All eligible voters are expected to assemble at their respective Ward areas to vote for an aspirant of their choice.

“The PDP calls on all its members, supporters and well-wishers to give the exercise their maximum cooperation and conduct themselves in an orderly manner”, the statement added.

Back story

Mr Pantami’s emergence as the PDP flagbearer stirred intense controversy across both the APC and PDP in the state.

The former minister originally ran for the ticket of the ruling APC. When the party named Mr Gwamna as a consensus choice, he decried the process and defected to the opposition PDP.

However, his defection to the PDP was met with strong pushback from long-standing party members and rival aspirants (such as Mr Garry and Khamisu Mailantarki.

READ ALSO: Court nullifies Pantami’s PDP ticket, orders fresh primary in Gombe

They viewed his fast-tracked adoption via “voice affirmation” as an undemocratic “political jamboree” designed to bypass a real election and disenfranchise aspirants who had remained loyal to the PDP.

Mr Garry’s legal suit hinged on the argument that voice affirmation without a formal, open delegate vote violated both the PDP’s internal guidelines and the Electoral Act.

The court agreed, ruling that political parties cannot bypass formal voting procedures to hand-pick high-profile defectors.